Exploring the URL Cache

My desire to create one button to blow away all files left on my machine from my browser led me down the path of the URL Cache. This seems to be the place where all Internet-related files are managed. Of course, this journey turned into a full-blown application caused me to look into the cache and view the details of what's actually kept there.

All methods to manipulate the URL cache are a part of the WinInet library. This library is fairly low-level (not quite at the socket level, but it's pretty far down there). In addition to the cache, the library also provides HTTP, FTP, and Gopher file transfer functionality.

Walking the URL cache is very similar to using the Win32 file-realted functions. FindFirst (with some parameters) returns a handle, FindNext (until there are no more), that sort of thing. I developed a set of classes to deal with the nitty-gritty. You'll find these in the UrlCacheUtil.h/.cpp file.

The application is fairly self documenting (famous last words). I'll leave it to you get out of it what you want. The detail dialog is modless, so it can be left up as you scroll through the cache entries.

Some interesting notes:

There are definitely some undocumeneted CacheEntryTypes being used. I suspect IE creates some for its own internal use.

The groups are somewhat a mystery to me. I haven't come across one with a name yet. I suspect all entries go into an unnamed group by default.

URL Explorer

Trying to inject (plagiarise) some of your code into my own I appear to be missing 'UrlHist.h'. Perhaps I am being a bit thick but, when I compile my app (not remotely contravening your copyright :-)), it does fall over whilst trying to clear the history. It also leaves some cookies behind.

Personally I'd send me a bill for these dumb-arse questions but what can you do?

Cleared history works, but ghost items remain displayed in listing

I can do a clear all history, and it does in fact remove all history items in Internet Explorer's panel. However, when the utility refreshes, it displays some old URLs as if they are still in the history. Very weird. Some of the URLs are from months ago, not sure where they are coming from.

Any idea how to fix this so after a "clear all" it doesn't display these ghost items?

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